The Writer and the Auror
by whiskeynights
Summary: What happens when our favorite couple teams up in the Harry Potter Universe? AU meeting. Caskett in the Wizarding World.
1. Chapter 1

**I have been wanting to write this for ages, but could never get it quite right. I hope I did alright by you guys.**

**This is obviously AU and will require us to place Castle and Beckett back in time as Harry Potter was born in 1980 and the Battle of Hogwarts occurs in 1997. The story takes place right before Year 4 in the books when death eater activity is starting up a la the Death Eater Raid at the World Cup so one could say these events occur in '93/'94. **

**Sorry for the long intro, but sit back, relax, ignore any timeline errors that pertain to the show, and enjoy this AU to the extreme.**

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The crack startled him awake. There was no mistaking it. His home was being attacked. Shouts and spells rang from the street, and he heard his mother's howls from the parlor below.

The building began to fall around him. Luckily, his wand was never far out of reach. He barreled over to his nightstand and grasped the 11 inch Cyprus with unicorn hair wand immediately calling out a shield charm.

Safe for now, Richard Castle Apparated to the parlor where he could hear his mother screaming in confusion and frustration. Being a Muggle, magic was hard enough for her to grasp when her son would make his toys levitate as a child let alone when strangers outside were killing all in their path with a flick of their wrist and an utterance from their lips. Thank Merlin that Alexis was on vacation with her mother.

He grasped her tight and Apparated yet again to their summer home out by the sea. He regretfully left his mother vomiting in the front yard and Disapparated straight back, ready for a fight.

He took cover in the mews off of the main road. What he saw and heard was reminiscent of what he had been writing about. There were whisperings that those who were still loyal to You Know Who were starting up violence again. Vandalizing government buildings, targeting Muggles and Mud-bloods, and terrorizing the streets. Rick has been reporting on such news for The Daily Prophet, but each case lacked evidence and witnesses, and on top of that he was refused for print. That was often the problem with magical crime - their sore deeds could be wiped away with a flourish. This, however, was most definitely a Death Eater Raid, and Rick was in the thick of it.

Rick quickly assessed the situation. There were a total of three Death Eaters, all donning their traditional masks. Muggles poured out into the street to see what was going on and to escape their burning houses being brought down by spells and curses while the Death Eaters toyed with them.

Seeing this, Rick quickly took action. He approached from behind and struck the nearest death eater with a disarming spell. This, unfortunately, gained the attention of his other two attackers.

The whips of their return spells whizzed through the air, narrowly missing him. He was able to deflect the others clumsily.

He managed to find cover behind a bus stop, but that didn't last long, as his opponents shrunk it moments later. Casting a block, he barely made it behind a trash bin when a godsend Apparated before him and took out the offending witches and wizards with a single spell.

Confident the threat was dealt with, Richard emerged from the garbage bin and looked upon his savior. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen and she had just taken out two Death Eaters at once while Apparating out of thin air. He was instantly smitten. That was so badass. And hot!

He was still drooling over the mysterious woman when she turned towards him and began to speak.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned for him when he didn't immediately respond. That concern quickly went away, however when she noticed how gobsmacked he was. "Are you alright?" She snapped.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, fine, quite fine," he stammered when he realized he had been caught checking her out.

Kate Beckett was amused at the man before her. His wand was grasped loosely by his fingertips given his obvious distraction with her clad in merely boxers, an undershirt, and socks. He was obviously disheveled having been awoken to this nightmare. He was ruggedly handsome she noted with his striking blue eyes, trussed hair, and chiseled jaw.

Kate shook off her train of thought and got back to her job at hand. These Death Eaters were getting more active, and it was her duty as an Auror to shut them down. Unfortunately for her, this made the fourth attack this month and she had yet to put a stop to the madness. Assessing the scene, she realized the wizard in boxers was the only magical resident in the area.

He shifted nervously under her gaze as she approached him, tucking her wand into her leather coat.

"What can you tell me of this attack, Mr…" she quizzed.

"Mr. Castle. Richard Castle. Reporter for The Daily Prophet and author extraordinaire," he boasted, extending his hand in greeting.

"Mmmm, yes. I recognize the name. You're the "Unfortunate Calamities" writer, correct? In fact, you've been submitting pieces regarding these attacks, haven't you?"

"Ahh," he hesitates, "yes, I've been writing them but the editor refuses to publish."

"This is why, as you can see. The events are true and the Minister doesn't want a panic."

"I would argue the public needs to be informed. Muggles and wizards alike are all being harmed. I am the only wizard on this block. There is no one to defend them. The public needs to be told if they are to be left to fend themselves."

"I'm sorry, did you not just witness me saving your life?" she asked moving into a defensive stance.

"Please," he scoffed, "I was fine."

"You're lucky I showed up when I did. If I hadn't you surely would have fallen victim."

"I am a victim - my home is gone!" he fumed, "and I can fend for myself," he smugly added.

"I understand. Well, as an Auror for the Ministry-"

"You're an Auror?!" He clumsily interrupts, nearly tripping over himself in glee.

"-I am subject to the Minister's orders and he has ordered the public remain ignorant," she explains. She clearly does not look happy about it.

"Oh, well, please don't obliviate me," he pleads. "I would totally forget that I apparated my mother to my summer house to protect her. Knowing me, I would leave her in Hastings for like a year while she panicked about the 'magicians who magicked her son's house up in flames.'"

The puppy dog look he is giving her is so adorable. She probably won't torture him with memory loss. He already knows about the attacks - hell, he reports them. So instead she ignores his pleas and focuses on teasing him. No reason why she can't get some more amusement out of this man.

"You live with your mother?" She needles.

"What? No, she lives with me." He shakes his head.

"Hmm, sure she does." She leaves it there and begins to assess the damage done to the street. Hyde Park Gate has never looked so gutted. She goes about fixing the scene up, the sight improving before their eyes. She notices Castle still in her periphery, watching her in awe. She lets him watch. It's really not that exciting; this is average house witch stuff.

She then gathers the witnesses and apologizes for taking away their memories so forcefully, but she reminds herself that it is in the best interest. No one would believe them anyways, so she wipes their recollections.

Once the scene has been taken care of, and the order somewhat restored, she turns towards Castle who has a look of resignation on his face.

"So, you gonna wipe me down, too? My mother is going to be so pissed," he jokes.

"Not gonna obliviate you, Castle," she concedes and she watched the elation show on his face.

"You wanna whip me instead?" he winks.

"Ugh, grow up," she scolds.

He laughs, "Seriously, though, thank you. She would have made me buy her a whole new wardrobe or something, do you know how expensive her clothes are?! It's atrocious."

She chuckles, "I am perfectly aware, your mother is somewhat of a fixture of the West End, and it's not like you can throw your galleons around at Selfridges."

"Whoa, you follow Muggle theater?" He's amazed. No one in the wizarding world knows who his mother is.

"Of course. My father is a Muggle. 'Bout as Muggle as they come," she muses with a smile.

"And your mother?" he prods, seeing this as a golden opportunity to learn more from her.

It was clearly the wrong thing to ask as her face snaps shut. It is clear the time for playful conversation has come to a close.

"I apologize, that was intrusive," he says genuinely, "I'm a reporter, it's in my nature and I forget to turn it off sometimes."

"That's alright, I'm an Auror, it's in my nature too." She let's it go. He couldn't have known it was a sensitive topic. Especially given tonight's events. She wouldn't tell him that her mother worked in the Department of Mysteries and stumbled onto something far too great. She foolishly tried to foil The Dark Lord's plot and paid dearly for it. The worst part was that she didn't even know who did it; just that The Dark Mark was left behind and that they fled, leaving her mother's lifeless body in Knockturn Alley. Now that Death Eaters were active again maybe she could actually find her mother's murderer.

"Well, this has been a lovely evening, but I should perhaps put some clothes on. I don't want to keep giving you a free show of my muscular, handsome form," he preens.

He thinks he's so suave, but at least it gets her to laugh.

"You might want to find your hysterical mother, too. Maybe explain to her what is going on and get her to be mum on the subject, yeah?" She plays along.

"Right, that too," he smiles.

She has to ask, "Why are you smiling?"

"You didn't deny it," he points out.

"Deny what?"

"My handsomeness," he gushes.

She wishes she didn't ask, but he is, in fact, rather handsome. She kind of hopes she runs into him again sometime. She decides not to think on that thought for too long, afraid she will walk back to him, and instead apparates back to the Ministry.

Richard Castle looks on as the leggy brunette disappears before his eyes. He prays to all that is magical that this is not the last time he sees her.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I am blown away by all of the messages and reviews I have received for this story. I am so grateful for all of you and hope you continue to enjoy this story. I write for you guys, the readers, so please leave some feedback as I love hearing from you.**

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Fortunately for Rick, he got his wish at the World Cup a month later. Unfortunately for Rick and the rest of humanity, it meant there was another Death Eater Raid.

It was the summer before Alexis's fourth year at Hogwarts. He was extremely proud of his little Ravenclaw, even if he himself was a Hufflepuff at heart. He was just so excited she got to experience it. He would have loved her the same no matter what, but he secretly hoped she would be a witch even though her mother was a Grade A Muggle.

Looking back on it now, he cannot even fathom how he put with Meredith for as long as he did. His mother introduced the two of them and things took off hot and quick. Next thing he knew, she was pregnant, and they were married. She didn't even know he was a wizard. He's actually rather proud he was able to hide it from her. He already knew Meredith and he were never meant to be, but he stuck with it for Alexis. Until, she slept with one of her directors in their bed and decided to move to the US for the foreseeable future.

He's kind of grateful for it, though, in an odd way. Now he gets Alexis all to himself. He gets to watch her grow into the amazing witch he knows she will be. He dreams she'll work high up as a researcher at St. Mungo's, or maybe she will become a professor and teach abroad. She's his pride and joy, so he can't help but be grossly disappointed when she informs him she would rather go with her classmates to the World Cup than with her old man.

Now that he says it like that, though, he can't be too surprised. He's also rather impressed when she tells him that this group of friends happens to include the great Harry Potter. Now he kind of wants to tag along so he can interview the lad. Too bad he said that aloud and now Alexis is giving him the stare down, absolutely mortified that he would take advantage like that. He promises to be mute on the subject; it would be rather tactless.

He does insist that she stay with him and not her friends. Especially if he has to go sit by himself in the Press Box becoming subject to Rita's god awful flirting while she has fun sitting with her friends. She will just have to settle for meeting them there.

Alexis took the news well and was still skipping all the way to their portkey at the Gloucester Road Tube Station.

Arriving was a state of shock for the both of them. Rick had never been before, coming from humble beginnings. He walked with Alexis to their tent simply awestruck by the grounds, the people, and the spirit. Luckily The Prophet let him use a company tent for the event, set up with all of the necessary accommodations.

Soon enough, Alexis was begging to go and meet her friends and Rick hastily agreed, eager to meet the infamous Harry Potter.

They met outside of an unmarked tent about five rows over and watched the numerous (and various) people pour out of it.

"Arthur!" Rick is surprised to see one of his most reliable sources come out of the tent, "Crimey, how are you?"

The men eagerly shake hands and the kids look confused as hell, but soon enough they are ignoring the adults and catching up. He and Arthur often ran into each other at the site of unfortunate accidents. Arthur, was there for the Ministry to clean up the mess that was often made, and Rick was there to report on the said mess.

"Well, we must be doing quite good if we are here for the cup, eh?!" Arthur jokes.

"Right!" Rick laughs along.

Rick often returned Arthur's favors of information by satisfying his intense curiosity towards Muggles. Rick even let him meet his mother. There was a meeting for the ages.

Alexis is quick to cut off their catching up.

"Guys, this is my Dad, Rick. Dad, this is Hermione." Alexis gestures to the brunette at her side. They must be the closest friends in this circle. Good. More girls the better, stay away from boys. Except for maybe Potter. That's the only one he could get behind. Alexis is quick to break up his thoughts. "And this is Ron, clearly you already know his dad Mr. Weasley, and these are his brothers Fred, and George." The twins she indicates look much like he did at their age. Always looking for fun - or as his mother called it, 'trouble.' "And finally, this is Harry Potter." She does a weak little wave of her hand in Harry's direction as if nervous. If he's being honest she probably should be, but he'll let her off of the hook this time.

"Pleasure to meet you all," he says, choosing not to acknowledge anyone individually. He thinks he sees Harry smile a bit in gratitude.

Alexis looks at him appreciatively as she links arms with Hermione.

"Alright, let's get in on the fun, shall we?" Rick asks as he leads the way towards the Pumpkin Juice Tent. He would much rather be at the Fire Whiskey Tent, but maybe he and Arthur can slip away after the match when the kids are asleep.

It's moments before the match when Rick has to go his separate ways. He was really dreading this, wanting him and his daughter to experience their first World Cup together, but he understands her desire to be with her friends. They're a great group of kids. He wishes he could stay with them.

The game is awful. Sure the action on the pitch was exciting as ever. Ireland pounding Quaffles through the rings. It was the action in the press box that was making him miserable. As predicted, Rita Skeeter was eyeing him and made moves multiple times throughout the night. He was having to dodge her like chasers to a bludger. Too bad he was a beater during school, dodging was not one of his specialties. That was evident last month when he barely made it behind a trash bin.

Great. Now he's thinking of his nameless savior, the enchanting Auror. Oh well, maybe a little daydreaming will help the time pass.

At last, the match is over, and he is able to duck out quickly amidst the growing chaos.

He and Alexis arranged to meet back at the Weasley's tent so back to the tent he goes. Rick's keen to take his time in the hopes that it will allow Alexis to beat him back. In his walk he encounters many raucous fans. Those who came to cup without tickets to simply soak up the atmosphere and join in the fun are more than rowdy. He hears fireworks go off in pops and booms across the field.

Wait. He freezes mid-step.

That was no firework.

He's quickly in a panic- recognizes the cracks and whips of sinister spells filling the air. He seriously underestimated his desire to be with his daughter right about now. Christ, he never should have left her. Hopefully it is just upset Bulgaria fans and not what he thinks it is, what he dreads it is.

Once the screaming reaches his ears, though, he knows the Death Eaters have escalated and chosen the world stage to inject fear into the masses.

He's scrambling now, running to the Weasley tent in the meager hopes that he will find his daughter there. He bursts in with no greeting and his heart blooms with relief at the sight of her.

"Alexis," he says softly. He quickly engulfs her in his arms.

"Daddy?" She sounds so small. Like she's a toddler again, nervously asking if she can play with his Spell-Check Quill.

"Arthur, we need to go, now. Death Eaters are attacking the grounds," he implores, turning towards the rest of the group.

"Come on, now," the twin he thinks is Fred says, disbelieving.

"Yeah, mate, it's just the Irish getting their drink on!" The twin he thinks is George finishes with gusto.

Arthur looks to be listening hard to the sounds of the crowd and seems to come to the same conclusion. "That's not the Irish," he murmurs.

"Everyone, grab your wands, we need to get out of here." Rick takes the lead. "Stay close together, and don't look back. We need to get back to a Portkey."

Arthur nods in agreement, getting everyone prepared. He takes Alexis's hand in an effort to calm both her and himself. He leaves her at the entrance to the tent so he can check that the way is clear. It is a mess outside. Hoards of people running from danger.

He reaches his hand back inside, opens the flaps wide and gives everyone the all clear.

He starts leading the group towards one of the portkey locations. He is so damn grateful he studied the bloody map that came with the tickets. Alexis is immediately behind him, keeping close.

He makes it no further than 50 meters when Alexis yanks on his hand.

"Dad!" She yells over the noise and points behind them. They're all gone.

"We have to find them!" She orders before she runs off, back towards the tent.

"Alexis!" He shouts after her, trying to keep up.

When he catches up to her and gets her out of her, she will be in so much trouble. He is absolutely furious. He's so much larger than her and is getting tossed around by the stampede. Oh, shit. He's losing her. It is impossible to keep his eyes on her, so he blasts through, pushing and shoving with all of his might.

He finally makes it through the cluster only to find he is alone. Alexis is gone. He can see the Death Eaters approaching now, heading straight for him. He's made it into No Man's Land. Fuck.

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**AN: Hope you're liking this. Next chapter we will see KB's perspective. Should be a crowd pleaser ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Gosh, your reviews amaze me. I am so happy you guys are liking this, I was so nervous about tying these two realms together so to hear the warm reception is such a relief.**

**I hope you all enjoy this next installment and are beginning to see the more of the plot and the mystery coming alive.**

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All month she hasn't been able to get Rick Castle out of her head. She's never experienced anything quite like it. There was an almost instant connection. There was wit, challenge, attraction - he had a lot going for him. Woah, Katie, back up. She's getting much too far ahead of herself. Hell, he doesn't even know her freaking name.

Still doesn't stop her from thinking about it.

She needs to, though. Maybe she should think about the aftermath instead, that'll cease her thoughts.

That night, after leaving Castle in the alleyway to retrieve his mother, Kate had apparated back to the Ministry. Unfortunately, she had to inform Scrimgeour that there was yet another raid and that the perpetrators were growing more bold.

To say he was disappointed was a gross understatement. The meeting ended with Rufus cursing The Dark Lord as well as the Minister for taking little to no preventative measures. She doesn't blame him for being frustrated, Kate wishes she could put a stop to it as well.

The unfortunate truth was that they were still unsure as to why dark activity was rising. Everyone had their own theories, but were too afraid to voice them. Almost all of them certainly involved impending doom.

Regardless of the reason, Scrimgeour ordered the Auror's Office be fully staffed in preparation for the World Cup. A precaution for a possible Death Eater Raid, and also to assist the Department of Magical Games and Sports in crowd control.

And that is why Kate Beckett finds herself in the Auror's Office on one of the most important days in Magical History; unable to see or attend the coveted match up. At least Kingsley got to assist on site. Not that she probably wouldn't be here anyways. She frequently comes into the office on her off days to look over her mother's case or any other cold cases that wind up on her desk.

Time to look into the most recent case of hers, though; that fateful raid that introduced her to Rick Castle.

Dammit, she called it fateful. It's not fate, Kate.

Frick, now she's rhyming.

Maybe if she reviews all of the recent raids as well as the reports from Voldemorts prime, she will find something: find a connection, a link. She plops down at her desk and waves the reports over.

In her reading, she can't help but think back to her mother's case. The only thing she knows is that the killer cast Morsmordre before leaving the scene, leading her to believe the killer was in Voldemort's inner circle. She secretly hopes that this increased activity will force her killer to surface again.

She needs to get her hands on that wand. She has checked every wand she has come across thus far and nothing has turned up. Not a one had cast that spell the night her mother died, January 9th, 1980.

She also really needs to find her mother's last memory. She has her mother's pensieve and is forever grateful for the comfort it provides, but she needs that memory. She is certain it will lead her somewhere. She knows someone has it, for the spell to extract it was cast from her wand, but the memory was nowhere to be found. Likely with the killer or a witness.

She needs a lot of things, apparently.

Tonks would probably argue that she needs a man. Maybe she should have given Rick a way to reach her. Oh well, he's smart, he could probably figure it out. Why does he keep popping into her head?

"Whaddya thinkin' about?" Tonks crows, darting out from behind her.

"Jesus, Tonks, quit doing that!" Beckett scolds, but she is secretly thankful for the diversion from her thoughts. Tonks, her only confidant, was a sure way to cheer her up. Today, the cheering up happens to come in the form of a bird.

"Oh, come off it, I chirped to announce my presence," Tonks pauses. "So?" She prods as she morphs back to her spunky self.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Who is behind these attacks? What does it mean? Who killed my mom? Normal stuff."

"Ah, yes, very normal," Tonks agrees and let's her off easy. "I bet you were also thinking about that handsome writer you are so fond of, like normal, too." Or not.

Tonks had cornered her at the pub a week after the incident demanding to know what Beckett kept daydreaming about. Several Butterbeers later, Tonks had her answer. Granted, she practically had to use veritaserum in order to pull it out of her, but Tonks discovered Beckett was smitten with a certain writer.

She couldn't help hazing Kate for it, too. She even went so far as to place a portrait of him on her desk and put a seal on it so Kate couldn't move it. Kate eventually worked around the seal a whole week later and had it lifted, but Tonks is fairly certain she saw Kate put it in one of the bottomless pockets of her charmed leather jacket for safe keeping.

Kate scoffs at her and turns back to reviewing past reports on the raids.

"Awe, Katie, you're not even denying it this time!" Tonks enthuses.

"Nymphadora, if you don't shut it right now, I will-"

"-will what?" she challenges. "And do _not_ call me that again or I will having you shitting out pumpkins all day long."

"Good thing you didn't say gourds, or I'd be tempted," Kate chuckles.

Tonks grins back.

"So Scrimgeour has you on alert for the cup too?" Kate asks.

Tonks nods before turning thoughtful.

"Say, have you seen Alastor around lately? I thought he would be taking lead on this, but no one's seen him," Tonks provides.

"No, I haven't, thought he would be at the cup with Kingsley."

Truly, he could be at The Leaky shooting Fire Whiskey for all they know. Alastor is famous for never checking in. He's the star of the office, works alone, all that jazz. Even when he was mentoring the two of them it felt more like they were hunting Moody at times not dark wizards.

"Well, looks like it's just us and Proudfoot to-" Kate trailed off as she saw the incoming Patronus.

Kingley's Linx leapt into the room before transforming into the man himself.

"Attack at the World Cup. Apparate to the grounds immediately and prepare for combat," his voice boomed.

The room was in a flurry after that. Kate and Tonks quickly linked arms and withdrew their wands - ready for a fight - and apparated to the grounds with a crack.

Regardless of the precautions for the cup, the site that greeted them was something no one was prepared for.

Flames erupted from the tents, witches and wizards probably trapped inside. People were screaming and trampling each other in the hopes of finding an exit.

Tonks and Beckett raced towards the source of the commotion where soon enough they came to a clearing in the madness with Death Eaters marching their way.

Kate pushed forward like always, with Tonks covering her, when a man with familiar broad shoulders came stumbling out of the crowd on their left and stepped right into their path.

Of course. It had to be him.

Momentarily distracted, she almost missed the curses being hurled in their direction - Rick first in their path.

Quick to react, she didn't think twice before diving after him.

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**AN: This chapter is slightly shorter, but the next one should be on the lengthier side.**

**Please leave a review if you have the time! Your thoughts and suggestions really help me shape the story so please don't be shy.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hello, friends! All of those reviews - I am blown away. Reviews, simply put, keep me writing. They motivate and inspire me to no end, so I hope you continue to leave them.**

**This installment is lengthier and definitely has more going on. I found it to be challenging to write considering there are so many characters to include and perspectives to touch on (not to mention there is the fact that Rick still doesn't know Kate's name). To avoid confusion on that I inserted line breaks where the POV switches. I am nervous to hear what you all have to say about it; I think there are some changes I could have made, but I still remain undecided on whether or not those were improvements.**

**Regardless, I hope I did a good job keeping true to the books as well as this show and that you enjoy the next part of this adventure.**

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Rick was tackled to the ground before the attackers could strike him. Groaning, he turns towards his savior, only to realize it was his mysterious auror yet again.

Stunned, he watches her leap back into action and into the foray, spewing attacks at the Death Eaters. She is standing before him now in an offensive position, whilst another woman with pink hair takes up behind her casting protection charms. He assumes she must be another auror. Wow - what a couple of kickass witches.

Before he can think another moment, his badass crush stalks towards him while her partner holds up the charms. Rick realizes he must still be on the ground.

He doesn't have a chance to do anything about it, though, for she grabs him by the biceps and forcibly hauls him behind a nearby post.

"Are you trying to get killed?" She shouts at him.

"You know, if you insist on greeting me like this every time, you have got to tell me your name," he jokes. God, he just wants her name. So badly.

"I'm not trying to greet _you_, I am trying to greet _them_! Preferably with a Hex!" She scolds as she tosses _Stupify_ at one of their attackers, only for it to be blocked at the last second. They're advancing fast.

Alexis. He needs to focus and find her. Can't get distracted by the leggy brunette and her pink friend.

He is quickly on his feet with his wand drawn, glancing around crazily for even a speck of red hair, sprinting behind tents in the direction he thinks she fled.

"Alexis!" He yells.

"Who?" The voice comes from behind him and he startles. She followed him, probably trying to protect him. That's sweet.

"My daughter, I lost her." He feels so helpless. "Alexis!" He yells again.

* * *

Kate takes the information in stride, quick to assist him. She genuinely wants to help. it's in her job description, and it is in her DNA.

Kate has to duck down when a Knockback Jinx comes barreling their way. It narrowly misses her, and Rick retaliates.

"_Oppugno!_" He commands, sending a flurry of surrounding objects at their attacker. Gives them a great opportunity, really, for the debris is blinding, allowing Tonks to abandon her spot and catch up with them, taking cover.

"Good thinking," Tonks praises him once she arrives.

"Listen, I need to find my daughter. Now. We made to escape, but we lost our friends and she took off! Please, you have to help me," he pleads the both of them, making eye contact with Kate.

She's struck by the desperation in his gaze.

"Well, we need to deal with this situation," Tonks is insistent, sensing Kate is close to giving in.

Kate is torn between the two; compassion and duty warring behind her eyes. She wants to find his daughter for him more than anything, but if she doesn't stay and fight the Death Eaters she could lose her job, or more importantly, leads to her mother's murderer.

"Rick, maybe we can do both. We defeat the Death Eaters, we eliminate the threat, and are free to find your daughter outside of immediate danger," she reasons.

He growls, but stands to attack.

"_Confringo!_" A large flame bursts from his wand and nails its target.

Kate is extremely impressed. Under such duress he is doing remarkably well; much better than the night she met him.

Kate and Tonks get right back up and join him.

Together, they blast Jinxes, Hexes, and Curses at their challengers. Kate lands a particularly strong Binding Spell on one of the apparent leaders, while Tonks and Castle continue with a smattering of stunning spells.

She is particularly surprised at Rick's ability to work with her in bringing them down. She tosses an Expulsion Curse, and he hits it with an Engorgement Charm to widen it's destructive path, taking down several more Death Eaters. She is kind of in awe of him - well, more so than she was this morning.

It doesn't take long to suppress them, especially once Shacklebolt and Dawlish join in from the other side.

Unfortunately, the wizards and witches who managed to not become incapacitated begin to disapparate. Once the scene clears, they see what has everyone escaping: the Dark Mark glows as clear as day above the wood. It's the first time it has been seen in 13 years, and any wizards and witches who were once present are most certainly gone now. The screams come from the wood tenfold and Richard Castle's face becomes even more grave.

* * *

Rick reaches out and firmly grasps his mystery woman's forearm. She turns to him, showing he has her attention.

"Please, my daughter, I need to find her." Yes, his voice is breaking, but he doesn't care. So is his heart.

He notices Ministry officials arriving, but he could care less.

With an allowing nod from a towering Wizard in colorful robes, his rescuers left the scene, racing alongside Castle into the woods to try and find his little girl. He is terrified that she may be nearer the Dark Mark and nearer the danger.

By the time they reach the mark, he feels himself scrambling, his head practically on a swivel.

"Is that her?" His auror asks, effectively stopping him by grabbing his shoulder.

Hope flairs within him, but he sees bushy brown hair not the silky red of his flesh and blood.

He shakes his head. "No," he practically whimpers before- "that's her friend!"

"Hermione!" He shouts at the girl, racing to reach her, but she rushes over the hill in front of her and disappears from view.

Not to be discouraged, Rick follows after her and nearly hurls himself in her direction.

In the valley of the woods he sees Alexis, Harry, Hermione, and Ron being surrounded by aurors and Ministry officials alike. All of them casting spells at the teens. Thankfully they ducked.

"Wait!" Rick bellows, while a similar chorus comes across the wood from Arthur Weasley.

His helpers are giving similar protest as they pile in behind him.

Good, they're all here now.

"What the hell is going on?" His femme fatale demands of Mr. Bartemius Crouch, the Head of International Magical Cooperation.

Barty stands ramrod straight, assessing the scene before him in careful detail. His stocky mustache twitching in fury during his assessment, his black robes and bowler emphasizing his severe personality.

"These children have been found at the scene of the crime," Barty announces, then turns to the teens. "Explain yourself!"

"We did nothing," Harry states. "We were waiting in the wood for the camp to quiet down when we heard someone near us. We couldn't see anything, but the next thing we knew there was a floating skull in the air."

"Think about it, Barty, there is no way these children would know how to conjure the dark mark. It is from before their time!" Arthur implores.

"They could still be in the wood," his auror utters before taking off with the tall, colorful wizard and the pink haired witch into the direction Harry indicated.

Rick goes to his daughter during the break in debate and gathers her up in his arms. She is quick to apologize and Rick is just too relieved to acknowledge it. When the group of Aurors return with a creature in tow, he and Alexis break apart to get a better look.

"We found this House Elf, with a wand, stunned in the woods. We must have hit her with one of our stunning spells," the tall wizard explains while laying the elf at Crouch's feet.

Crouch's face is astonished. "Kingsley." Rick determines this must be the tall wizard's name. "This is my house elf!"

At this point, Amos Diggory of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Department comes out of the woodwork, accusing the poor elf of having cast the Dark Mark. Rick can't help but roll his eyes. He thinks he sees several others do the same - including his crush. He can't believe this circus is entertaining this thought.

Diggory is proven to be wrong when Winky surfaces into consciousness, aghast at the accusation. Amos goes to the wand found to be in her possession (Harry confesses it to be his) and has it repeat it's last spell, the ghost of the Dark Mark is spread from its tip. Regardless, Arthur and the aurors on the scene are adamant that Winky could not have conjured it. It takes great concentration and knowledge of the Dark Arts, something Mr. Crouch's elf would not possess. Finally, Amos concedes to the argument and declares the perpetrator must have Disapparated.

Rick is just glad the farce is over. He cannot wait to report on this for tomorrow's prophet. Talk about a calamity.

The Ministry is clearing the sky as he checks Alexis over before he is interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. It's her.

"Excuse me, Mr. Castle, now that you've found your daughter we should be getting back to the scene." She seems apologetic.

"No worries. Thanks again for saving me, helping me find my daughter and all of that." He gives her a winning smile.

"My pleasure." It's so assuring that her face seems to be as genuine as his.

Moments pass before Alexis softly prompts for an introduction, interrupting their freakish gaze.

"Ah, yes, Alexis this is…" He suddenly remembers he doesn't even know her name and pleads her with his eyes for an answer.

"Kate. Kate Beckett," the woman, Kate, says as she grasps Alexis's hand in a firm shake. "You must be Alexis."

"Yes!" He nearly shouts, shocking Kate and his daughter. "Yes, this is Kate, the Auror I was telling you about. Saved your Grandmother and me from a most certain death."

Alexis's laugh is uneasy due to her father's strange behavior. He can be so embarrassing.

"Oh and this is Tonks," Kate acknowledges with a wave to her pink haired companion, "she's my partner in the Auror's Office."

Tonks is grinning at him like the cat that ate the canary. He has no idea why.

"Pleasure, Tonks," Rick greets and shakes her hand when suddenly he is shaking a very furry paw. He yelps, admittedly too high to be considered cool.

"Oh, and she's a Metamorphmagus," Kate inserts while unsuccessfully hiding her amusement.

Everyone is laughing at him, but he couldn't care less. He's never met a Metamorphmagus before, and he will be damned if he doesn't take advantage and interview her. "No way! That is so cool!" He bursts once he ragains his composure.

"Listen, we really do have to go," Tonks cuts him off before he can spin even further out of control and into journalist mode and begins trudging back up the hill and towards the main scene of the riot.

Kate looks sorrowfully at him, "Duty calls. We have to go back and investigate."

He wishes more than anything he could acompany her, learn more about her, solve this mystery with her, but he needs to watch after Alexis. "I understand," he says as he approaches her and takes hold of her elbow, leading her up the hill after Tonks. He cannot let her walk out of his life a second time, "Listen, perhaps this is too forward, but I have not been able to get you out of my head all month," he takes a deep breath. "Kate… could I - could I see you again?"

She leaves the question hanging there before giving into their desire.

"Sure. Afterall, who am I to tempt fate?" Kate simpers, stalking up the hill with an extra sway in her hips.

He gawks, "Where shall I meet you?" He calls after her.

"Coffee shop near White Hall. Can't miss it," Kate calls back not even turning around. She knows where his eyes are, and she doesn't even care to dislodge them.

"Wednesday at half twelve?" He asks once his eyes are no longer baffled by her figure..

"Sounds good." This time she does turn around. Her smile is arresting.

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**AN: Thank you for reading. Looking forward to hearing what you guys thought and to hear any criticisms you may have. Sorry for the long ANs. Be sure to leave a comment/review :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: HMFSO to encantadaa for being my editor on this. She has helped steer me onto a path of greater grammar, and I couldn't be happier. She's an epic editor and I love her for it.**

**Also, SO to all of you as well and thank you so much for showing your support. Enjoy this next bit!**

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He approaches White Hall with a pounding heart. He cannot, for the life of him, identify the coffee shop she was referring to. He is very close to panicking, as they are supposed to meet only in minutes. His palms are thick with sweat, and patting them on his tweed suit jacket only adds to his already flustered demeanor. It doesn't help matters that it is drizzling, and tourists crowd the streets with their oversized umbrellas. He trudges up and down the block, hoping to spot something, when one of the aforementioned umbrellas nearly takes his eye out.

He is very close to just strutting into the Ministry around the corner and ambushing her at work when he spots it: there is a set of stairs that seems to appear up out of the walk in front him with the sign "Evanesco Cafe."A vanishing cafe. Clever. No wonder she said he couldn't miss it.

Rick takes a moment to gather up his courage before plunging himself down the stairs and into the dark cafe.

He nearly stumbles down the stairs in his haste to be on time. He spots her sitting on the lounge in the corner and brushes a hand through his hair, trying to undo the damage from the light rain. His hair is damp, and he hopes it appears more sexy than wet dog. He also hopes that wearing his dark suit jacket and burgundy sweater was a good choice today; judging by the grin Kate tries to hide into her coffee cup when she sees him, it appears that it was. He smiles, and she waves him over.

He makes his way through the cafe, still taking in the sight of her. She looks apprehensive yet eager while her hazel eyes roam over him. Her legs are crossed, emphasizing those long limbs; the top leg bouncing playfully and demanding his attention. Her trousers do her justice, a perfect fit, and her heeled leather boots meet her knees. Shifting his eyes upward, he takes in her loose beige jumper, her long curls billowing over her collarbone. She somehow manages to look comfortable and sophisticated. Her leather trench hangs from the coat rack, drying by the fireplace. The fire gives her a radiant glow, and he can barely breathe. She is magnificent.

Once he reaches her, he notices she must have been waiting a while.

"Damn, I am so sorry I'm late. You have a coffee already. How are you?" He greets and apologizes simultaneously as he sits down in the armchair next to the lounge.

They both buzz with nerves; the air electrified.

She leans towards him, "I'm well, and don't worry about it; the Muggles made the stairs hard to appear for me, too."

"They were awful. Do they not know how to walk with an umbrella?" Rick chuckles helplessly at his weak joke and waves his wand. His coffee appears before him and the till flies at him, begging for payment, so Rick tosses in the appropriate amount of Sickles while tucking his wand back into his jacket. He makes the mistake of taking a gulp of coffee too soon, and his face contorts as the liquid burns his tongue. "Hawt," he explains foolishly. She just grins, clearly enjoying his suffering.

"Careful there, Castle," she says with a wink. "So how have you been since The Cup? Alexis coping alright?" She twiddles with the coffee cup in her hands. She seems nervous to ask about his daughter, afraid to come across as too invasive, but he simply smiles at her question, finding her concern touching.

"She's dealing with the events better than I am. She didn't have to live through it the first time around, so it's harder for her to grasp the concept, I think." He gets a faraway look in his eyes, no doubt remembering the First Wizarding War.

"How old were you the first time around?" she prods carefully.

"Freshly graduated from Hogwarts. You?"

"I was freshly put in to Hogwarts; we have a little age gap," she laughs, lightening the mood.

"Good thing I don't mind," he wisely says with a smug grin. "I bet you were a cute little witch."

"And I bet you were still as pompous then as you are now."

He shakes his head vigorously, "Oh no, I was very different back then," he says, feeling nostalgic. "I was an 11 year old boy discovering all of his dreams were very real. I was dumbstruck; still am sometimes. Take the night I met you, for instance." He hopes to charm her; the wistfulness gone from his voice.

"There you go again. Good line." She glances down to her coffee once more and takes a generous sip.

Is he laying it on too thick?

"Here I thought you were just mental," Kate says, going toe to toe with him.

He barks out a laugh, "No, just very, very taken," he admits, his eyes smiling.

She agrees softly, apparently as into him as he is into her.

The café seems to disappear around them as they begin to forget that anything but the other one of them exists. They're both playing coy with each other as the day moves on, stealing glances intermittently. They somehow manage to talk about everything but the attack; Kate is especially interested in hearing about Rick and the various shenanigans he has gotten into while pursuing a story. She really loses it once she hears he rode a broomstick naked to get an exclusive interview with Hollyhead Harpies Captain, Gwenog Jones. Eventually though, Rick needs to dig about what happened at The Cup.

"So, has poor Winky been convicted yet?"

She rolls her eyes and repositions herself on the lounge, shifting closer to him still. He thinks she is unaware that she is doing it.

"Ugh, I wanted to sock Diggory. Thankfully, she is free from all charges; however she is also free from her duties. She was in hysterics; I feel horrible for her."

"That kind of makes me want to punch Crouch," Rick mused. "Or just sic you on him."

"Right? And now, he is all over our asses, pressuring us to apprehend whoever conjured the Dark Mark so his former house elf's name can be cleared. As if he could be doing a better job. As if that could make the embarrassment disappear for him; the whole Ministry already knows!" She's adamant.

"He's a piece of work. I wrote a story about him once, and I was not kind to him." He realizes too late that he said too much.

"Oh?" She's intrigued.

He looks at her and assesses the risk, finally deciding she's worth opening up to. He already knows something happened to her mother, so he kind of owes it to her to tell her something personal about himself.

"Yeah, during the First War Crouch was displacing Muggles and Muggle-borns on the run because they were violating Improper Use of Magic Laws. Who does that? They were already refugees trying to escape genocide, but because of him they had to run from persecution, too. Those people didn't deserve that," he trails off.

She can tell it's much more personal than that. The anger in his voice is palpable. It would take a blind man to see he isn't referring to his own experiences.

"You were one of those Muggle-borns, weren't you?" She whispers.

"Right," he acknowledges, a pained expression on his face.

"You're right; you didn't deserve that," she asserts. "We didn't deserve a lot of stuff."

There is an awkward lull in the conversation, both of them sitting in quiet for a few moments.

Kate breaks the silence. "So, is your mother still vomiting in Hastings, or did you manage to fetch her?"

It catches him off guard and he howls at the image, eyes crinkling.

"Oh, no, I heeded your advice right away and went and got her. I explained it away well enough, and she is back to performing. I did have to buy her a new fur coat, though, which is 100% your fault," he plays.

"My fault?" She's taken back.

"Of course. I told her about our encounter and she insisted I follow through on my excuse and buy her a new wardrobe. Luckily, she let me stop after the fur coat."

"You told your mother about me?" Kate's eyebrow raises.

"I did. How could I not? You saved my life." He looks at her with tender eyes, hesitantly grasping her hand that is not holding her coffee.

"Twice," she hums, squeezing his hand.

"Yes, that."

He brushes his thumb back and forth across her knuckles. She lets him.

"This is a date, right?" he squints, reluctant to be assuming.

Rick's eyes widen with excitement when she laces their fingers together in silent agreement.

"And the badger landed the lion," he cheers, pumping his free fist.

"Excuse me?" she roars, visibly fighting a smile. He's practically dancing in his chair, trying to get her to cave. He considers himself successful when she beams back at him. "You're a Hufflepuff? This changes everything," she jokes, pulling her hand back.

"At least now you know I'm loyal and honest," he boasts.

"Right," she drawls. "And just how, exactly did you know I was a Gryffindor? Have you been stalking me, Castle?"

He scoffs at the accusation. "Me? Never. It was a lucky guess, which you confirmed just now."

She shakes her head gently, smiling at him.

"So why haven't I read your article on Crouch?" He's surprised she didn't ask earlier.

"You a fan?" He cocks his head suggestively.

"No, just you would think the whole community would have heard about something about it." He wishes it were that simple.

"I wrote an expose on how the Ministry was mistreating refugees, abusing their power, and misappropriating their resources while Voldemort was knocking on their doors. I like to think that story is a big reason as to why Barty was demoted to international relations, but it was never published for obvious reasons. Horrible PR."

"That sucks."

"Exactly, which is why you killing my story really hurt, Beckett."

He's giving her his best puppy dog eyes, playing it up for her guilt.

"I thought you might be mad since Scrimgeour and Fudge killed your story," she winces.

She seems a little guilty, so her lets her off the hook.

"Well, I'll admit I was a little peeved at first, but I understand some aspects need to be left out," he wisely concedes.

"That is so _not_ what you thought, the night we met," she reminds him, snickering. "You practically wanted me to send out a public notice that Death Eaters attacked your home."

"Okay, I was a little upset with you for sweeping it under the rug so to speak. However, now that I am 'in the know,' I can see why it had to be done," he claims, defending himself.

"Wow." She looks at him in surprise.

"After all, making the events public knowledge would impede our investigation," he continues, unable to help the smugness he can feel blooming across his face.

She sputters her coffee. "I'm sorry, _what?!_"

"I realize now that if every detail form the attacks were released, it would make our putting the culprit in Azkaban very hard."

"_Our _investigation? I'm not investigating with you, Castle, I investigate with other Aurors." She's firm in her denial.

"Well, in exchange for killing the story, your bosses promised me that I could shadow you on this case."

"No," she raises her voice.

"Yes." He's just as determined as she is. "Look, if you're not happy with it you can take it up with Scrimgeour. Just know the end result will still be this."

She eyes him up for a moment, trying to figure him out, his motives. She must not have come to a conclusion for the first thing she asks is why.

"Because, I want the story," he answers truthfully, meeting her eyes. "I've been victimized by these people, and I believe you have too," he pauses, letting that sink in. "They deserve to be caught, they deserve to be exposed, and I want to be the one to write about it. This affords me that opportunity,"

She purses her lips, and appraises him; eyes roaming his face. Eventually, she finds his answer satisfactory and gives him a succinct nod. Luckily for Rick, she doesn't realize that he's interested in more than one story.

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**Review? Please? **


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Happy Castle Monday! This is for all of us waiting for a little longer for Castle links. Don't worry, Canada, we still love you.**

**Also, thank you encantadaa for all of your help on this.**

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Kate Beckett sits at her desk at work the next day, Richard Castle right beside her.

To say this was an interesting turn of events was an understatement in Kate's opinion. Richard Castle was shadowing her at work, on possibly the most important case of her career.

Somehow, he charmed the Minister, her boss, and her boss' boss with the promise of good press. It certainly doesn't hurt that he is good friends with Madam Bones, who probably had the power to make him an honorary Auror if she wanted to. Kate can't believe the politics of it. He promises them one positive story once they catch the Death Eaters responsible for the events at the Cup, and here he is, shadowing her daily for an indefinite period of time. Given his experience, she would think he would refuse to worship the Ministry like they want him to, but he seems dedicated to writing it.

The chair creaks next to her, momentarily startling her. She placed a chair beside her desk for Castle to sit in, and he's been shifting around for the past twenty minutes, driving her crazy. She keeps her eyes on the report in her hands, refusing to look at him.

He's distracting her already, and she knew he would, which is why she took her time getting into the office this morning. She is more focused on how his jeans fit than on the report in her hands. He also forwent the jacket today in favor of a fitted sweater, making every flex of his biceps jump through the wool knit. They practically beg for her attention, and she's given in, sneaking glances all morning.

Before he arrived, she was perfectly productive. She interviewed witnesses (with few results), checked the entire grounds for leads (to no avail), and even compiled these Incantation Scripts she's looking at. Since he got here, though, her productivity has decreased sharply. She's been trying to read through this script, but he is diverting her attention, and she realizes that she's read the same line too many times to count.

"Ahem," he clears his throat, drumming his fingertips on her desk.

She raises her eyes to meet his and gives him a questioning look, silently urging him to either speak up or shut up.

"So what's our next step?" he asks with a grin.

"You mean to tell me you are finished looking through every spell ever cast from that wand?" she challenges.

"No, no, just curious as to what comes next." He backs off, returning to the long log of spells in front of him.

She knows that was too harsh, but between begging her to allow him to interview the portrait of Moody in her office and asking to play with the elephants on her desk, he'd been driving her crazy all morning. This was his first relevant question of the day, and she figures that she owes it to him to answer. "What comes next is we find the clues here on these sheets of parchment and try to figure out how they managed to sneak under our radar. If we're really lucky, we might have enough information to answer the questions 'why?' and 'who?'" she explains.

He nods, and they both resume weeding through the logs. She had collected the wands dropped at the scene from Disarming Spells or stunned owners, and, with the helpful spell _Prior Incantato_, was able to document every spell ever cast from each wand, forming what is commonly known as Incantation Scripts. Castle clearly isn't a fan of this investigation method, but she knew it was proven to work.

Only a couple of minutes later, Castle clears his throat again, demanding her attention.

"Dammit, Castle, get to work," she snarls. She's probably being too hard on him, but she's not used to this; she doesn't know how to deal with his presence in her work.

She sees the look on his face quickly morph from excitement to discouragement.

He shifts in his chair, positioning himself closer, before leaning an elbow on her desk. "Okay, look, I know you are less than pleased about this arrangement, but I had to compromise, too; this wasn't my number one choice. This was the only way I could get the story." He waits. "Plus, I thought this would be a good opportunity to get to know you better," he adds softly.

She calms at that. "I understand. I'll try to be better about it."

"Thank you," he cheered, his face lighting up. "Besides, I want to invade your personal space, not your professional space."

She snorts playfully, a smile playing on her lips.

Rick is still looking at her, eyebrows raised in anticipation. He either found something or wants to pester her again. She sighs, narrowing her eyes. "Alright, what did you find?" she asks.

He perks up in his seat, no longer leaning against her desk, but flourishing the spell report in front of her face. "I have an Imperious Curse cast the day of the Cup."

She grins. "And why would they cast the Imperious Curse?" she prods, hoping they're on the same track.

"To persuade, gain access, quell suspicion," he rattles off, counting on his fingers for emphasis.

Kate pauses for a moment to gather her thoughts, thinking on the implications. She reaches a decision at the same moment that Rick does.

"_The Death Eaters were recognized_!" they conclude together. She freezes and stares at him with wide eyes. He's pretty good at this.

"They were recognized, or ran the risk of being recognized. Someone knew them, so they had to take control of the situation by any means necessary," she puts forward.

"Yes! Perhaps they had been accused of loyalty to The Dark Lord before? They had previously made headlines for being suspected Death Easters."

"Maybe, but how were they identified? All of the Death Eaters wore their masks," she comments.

"So? They would have had to be at the Cup before the attack, and without their masks. They were recognized before they put them on," he speculates.

"Quite the assumption," she grumbles.

They're focusing too much on the recognition, there is something else nagging her brain.

"They got off clean after the War," she realizes.

"Hmm?" he wonders.

"All of our attackers ran once the Dark Mark was cast. They were afraid Voldemort was there."

"Ah, and why would they run if their proclaimed master had returned? Because they turned coats to save their own skin." It's so hot that he thinks like her.

"Exactly." She suddenly realizes how close they are, having been inching closer with each statement. She can't help but glance down to his lips, enticed by them. She knows that public displays of affection are inappropriate for the workplace, but his lips are so tantalizing that she just can't help herself. Just as she's leaning in, she hears Tonks' voice and jumps back.

"Well, look at you two, being all cozy," Tonks jests.

Kate leans back in her chair and crosses her arms, rolling her eyes for show. Rick moves back to make room for Tonks as well, albeit a little slower.

"We were just making headway on our case," Kate informs her, hoping to change topics.

"Does casework serve as flirting for the two of you?" Tonks shakes her head. "Shameless."

Rick hums, clearly caught up in a re-play. She cannot take this anymore.

"If you two are done now, can we get back to work?" Kate interrupts.

Tonks concedes, giving Kate a knowing look, and asks what they have found out.

"We're pretty sure our suspects have been accused of being followers before, but never convicted. One of our wands cast the Imperious Curse, leading us to believe they may have been recognized, meaning they may be well known individuals."

Kate notices Rick take out a scroll of parchment and a Quick Quotes Quill. The quill scribbles her words down with alarming speed before turning to Rick for more content.

"And back to my original question, now what?" Rick pipes up as his quill continues.

"Which wand was that? Do we know the owner?" Tonks fires.

"8-inch Cyprus belonging to an 'Adolphus Nott,'" Rick reads.

"Well, that makes sense," Kate mused as Tonks muttered her agreement.

Nott was a suspected Death Eater during the War, but the case against him never held up in court, too many claims of the Imperious Curse forcing him against his will. Apparently Nott knows the spell even more than he let on, if he has been casting it. Kate tells Rick this, all while watching the damn quill slide over the surface. It's distracting.

"Merlin, is this how all of your conversations go?" Tonks teased them.

"Tonks, he needs to document all of this information for his story. Give him a break," Kate objected.

"Look at you defending your boyfriend." Both Kate and Rick go red at that remark. "I'll leave you lovers to it," Tonks winks and struts off.

Kate is all too relieved.

"So we visit Mr. Nott now?" Rick suggests, decidedly ignoring Tonks' badgering.

"We do. I'll send word to the Magical Transportation Department and see if they have an address for him. In the meantime, we should finish looking through that report for more information. Maybe we can even prove his involvement in the First Wizarding War once and for all."

She writes up the message and sends it floating through the Ministry when Castle says something that immediately grabs her attention.

"I already looked all the way back through the 70's and 80's. Lots of Unforgivables all the way through, but it seems to come to a peak at the start of 1980, including a Killing Curse." Her heart rate instantly picks up – it may even be skipping beats. The year her mother was killed is ringing in her ears.

She rips the paper from Rick's hands and scans for the spell he is talking about. It's one of the first spells on the list, and it's not hard to find. It's staring back up at her like a beacon.

_Avada Kedavra – January 9th, 1980_

_Mosmordre – January 9th, 1980_

Her hands are trembling. She's found it. She's found the wand that killed her mother.

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**AN: Would love to hear your thoughts on this last one. Thank you for reading.**


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